Impact Wrestling Review - April 13, 2017

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Reno Scum def. Decay and Laredo Kid & GarzaJr in a Three-Way Match

This felt more like a showcase of the tag team division than anything else, though it was well-wrestled and it gave Reno Scum a nice momentum boost. They have gradually been winning over the audience since arriving in Impact Wrestling and they have a cool tandem finisher to boot, so it makes sense that they're likely next in line for a title shot against LAX. Kid and Garza will be just fine, but I really hope Decay aren't lost in the shuffle because they're an excellent act.

Ethan Carter III Confronted Bruce Prichard

The slow-burn build to EC3's eventual (much-needed) heel turn continues. I'm not even sure where this fan vote to determine who would be next to challenge Lashley for the Impact Wrestling World Heavyweight Championship took place (lest we forget this was taped over one month ago), but that's neither here nor there. EC3 showed signs of his heelish side in this segment and it's only inevitable before he snaps and turns on the fans.

Braxton Sutter and Allie def. KM and Sienna

We haven't seen too much of KM in the ring prior to this point, but I thought he fared well for himself here. Furthermore, it was wise to let Sienna do most of the in-ring work for her team and Allie is always fun to watch. The babyfaces won the match, but the feud is far from over with the introduction of Kongo Kong by Sienna, and Laurel Van Ness is still in the mix as well. Kong was a part of those tapings for Global Force Wrestling two years ago (you know, the ones that never made the air) and at first sight, he's a hell of a specimen. We'll see if he can go, though.

Knockouts Champion Rosemary def. Santana Garrett (Non-title)

Maybe the commentators acknowledged it and I just so happened to miss it, but I don't think they brought up how Garrett once wrestled for Impact Wrestling under the name of Brittany. Like, not even two years ago. That was weird. That said, I'm not complaining because she has made a name for herself as Santana Garrett and I'm shocked she isn't signed to any organization yet. She had a good showing against the champion, but this was all about giving Rosemary a decent win.

Andrew Everett def. Marshe Rockett, Suicide and Gregory Shane Helms in a Four-Way Match

We just saw this same match a mere week ago. The only difference with this match was that Helms was involved and he was making his official in-ring debut for the company. That should have been advertised in advance, but I understand why it wasn't because he was mostly in manager mode here and didn't do much that was physical. Rockett and Suicide came off as complete afterthoughts, but at least the story between Everett, Helms and Trevor Lee was well-furthered.

Davey Richards def. DJ Z

First and foremost, I'd like to wish DJ Z a speedy recovery after he suffered a pretty nasty injury just recently (obviously, this was taped in advance). As for this match, it was decent while it lasted, but it was largely an exhibition for Richards and a lead-in to what happened afterward with Eddie Edwards storming toward ringside. After the brutal bout they had last week, I would have kept Edwards (and maybe Richards, too) off television a little longer and offer updates on their conditions, but this was good.

Team JB (Alberto El Patron, Chris Adonis, Matt Morgan and Magnus) def. Team GOAT (Impact Wrestling World Heavyweight Champion Lashley, Bram, Eli Drake and Tyrus)

It wasn't announced last week, but Josh Mathews did say at the start of this show that if his team lost, he would leave commentary. Why he would agree to that without Jeremy Borash also putting something up for grabs I have no idea, but hey, Mathews is gone from behind the booth! Rejoice! The match itself was a rather standard eight-man tag team contest and ultimately nothing special, but everyone played their roles well. It's difficult to give all of the debuting/returning stars shine when they come in at the same time. Nevertheless, I liked how the post-match celebration from the babyfaces was handled and how it felt like a big deal, in addition to the hook of a "party" taking place next week.

Overall Show

This entire edition of Impact Wrestling centered around the main event, and in that sense, it delivered. Again, don't seek out the match expecting an instant classic, but the moment it provides afterward is worth it. The rest of the show is solid with several storylines progressing and a few decent matchups. As I've said before, the direction of the on-air product has taken a turn for the better since the reboot and I'm excited about the immediate future of the program.